Quick Links

2'-3" 15R @ 7.437" 13T @ 10" @ 7.437" @ 10" 5R @ 7.2 14T @ 10" 15R @ 7.296" 4T @ 10" 6" REF ROO13'OM3'-OM" ROOM 102 6 2 CLOS. DN PANTRY KITCHEN 106 FURN. GAS F/P, TV ABOVE A 3'-10" B 4'-8" 11'- 2 LIVING 104 DINING 105 107b DN D2 UP Elev. 91'-4" ev F2 7'-212" 106a 9'-1112" 50'-7" C 11'-334" A2 3'-314 ontheweb WWW.FINEHOMEBUILDING.COM breaktime VISIT our online discussion group to ask a question about any aspect of home building. It’s free to sign up at forums.FineHomebuilding.com. FineHomebuilding.com gets a digital remodel We’re launching a brand-new FineHomebuilding.com. We’ve improved our look and built the website to be a stronger, more reliable tool for you as you tackle your own homebuilding projects. You’ll still be able to experience all of our great content, but now it will be simpler to find. Best of all, it will be optimized for any device, giving you access to decades of content whenever and wherever you need it most. FREE eLetter Want Fine Homebuilding delivered every week? Sign up for our free eLetters at FineHomebuilding.com/eLetter. Follow the build Our ProHOME build (pp. 70-77) is underway, and you won’t want to miss any step of the project. There’s lots to discover: in-depth articles, slide shows, updates straight from the job site, comprehensive videos, and much more. Follow the progress of the ProHOME, and sign up for email updates at FineHomebuilding.com/prohome. Shed foundation NORSEMAN68 WRITES: I’m in the planning stages of building a 16x20 shed, but I’m not sure if I should pour concrete columns with a bracket to accept a 4x6 timber, or if I should set pressure-treated 4x4 posts in concrete. How long would the posts last if set directly in concrete? Deadnuts replies: If you use ACQ lumber rated for ground contact (0.60 pcf or greater is recommended), you can probably expect at least 20 years out of your posts. Poorly drained foundations can reduce service life. I usually coat the sections of posts embedded in concrete with asphalt tar to protect wood fibers from coming into direct contact with caustic concrete. Norseman68 responds: The tar idea is a great one, as my yard is quite wet at the best of times due to poor drainage. Renosteinke adds: Some time ago, this site posted a nice video series on building a shed—and there was no slab, nor were posts set in the ground. Instead, the shed sat atop a bed of gravel. The key is good drainage. When I built my shed, I simply raised it off the ground with pier blocks. No part touched the ground directly. How you build depends on your intended use and the size of the shed. In most places, a 320-sq.-ft. shed will require permits. I’d see if your town has such requirements. As for the choices you presented, I suggest the brackets approach. They can be easily adjusted for level once the concrete’s set. Mike mahan adds: If you set posts in concrete that are not bearing on anything, the gravity loads of the building are supported only by the friction between the wood posts and the surrounding concrete. Your structure would stand a good chance of settling over time. Pole structures almost always have the poles set on top of reinforced concrete footings even if they have concrete poured around them. I can see no reason to set the posts in concrete and many reasons against doing it, rot included. 10 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo: courtesy of Artem Rudik. Floor-plan drawing: courtesy of Michael Maines.